A journey
by skltl90
Summary: To Gaara, something was fishy. How could he possibly tame Shukaku? To Hinata, everything was horrible! How could she travel to the Land of Lighting with a psychopath! This mission was bound to fail from the very beginning... right?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 1, in which we learn how huge rats can be

"Hello, sunshiiiine..." distant, hoarse voice sounded in darkness. Chills went down her spine as she couldn't locate the person who just spoke. The enormous cell she entered was lit only by one torch, her eyes had hard time accommodating to thick darkness around her. The first thing she spotted, were tiny heaps of sand, here and there. Then, in the faint light, she noticed bars. They seemed unusual: not only their diameter was oddly large, but they also were too far from each other to actually imprison anyone.

"See what you've done?" the same voice broke the silence. Activating byakugan, she saw a chakra system of a human, in the far end of a cell. Removing torch from its handle, she carefully made her way towards mysterious person. His chakra was of disturbing, yellow color, and oddly feeble.

"Scared shitless already? Come closer, sunshine... Come into this little teapot of mine..." She frowned, passing effortlessly through bars. This person was obviously delirious. No way it could be him... Still, she had to be sure.

After taking few steps forward, the light lit a limp silhouette of a man sitting by a wall. To her, it looked like a corpse: his skin was gray, bones were clearly visible, large dark circles surrounding his closed eyes, and... oh, Kami... and fiery hair glued together, revealing kanji 'love' on his forehead...

"Gaara!" she exclaimed, deactivating byakugan and rushing to him. Kneeling before him, she touched his head carefully, as if he could fall apart any moment. No reaction. "G-Gaara?" she asked with despair. Just then, his head jerked up and eyes shot open.

"He's not there, bitch. You left him to die..." Her eyes met eyes of the demon. Everything, from rhombus-shaped pupils to pitch black whites of eyes, was radiating with pure hate. Corners of redhead's lips went up, revealing deformed teeth, with unnaturally long canines.

"_It's Shukaku!"_ she realized, with cold sweat covering her face, as the demon continued talking. "He's dead, sweetheart... as dead as you will be... in smithereens... smithereens!"

In a split second, wave of sand pinned her violently to the wall, covering her body from toes to chin. Knocked out of her hand, the torch swept an arc in the air and fell on the ground, fortunately not extinguishing. She could still see motionless body of jinchuuriki. His chest, covered with rags, moved slowly up and down. Too slowly.

To her great surprise, the sand holding her was weak, she broke out with relative ease. It was startling – anyone trapped with sand coffin wasn't supposed to get out of it in pieces bigger than one centimeter. With agitation surpassing her fear, she once again knelt before him. Just then, she noticed something she didn't before: he was bound with massive black shackles on both his wrists and ankles, also one on his neck. When she tried to touch one of them, she felt the spark of pain in her fingers. So, chakra-sucking shackles, huh?...

"Shit, worse each day... I can't even kill the pest..." muttered boy in the same hoarse voice as before, looking at sand that was supposed to assault indigo-haired kunoichi. Seems like her guess was right after all. Now, to the point, there's no time to waste - guards could come here any second.

"Gaara, I'm getting you out of here."

"Hell yeah... go and be pathetic somewhere else..." replied demon with aversion, his eyes once again closed.

"Gaara, believe me, please!" she tried once again, her voice breaking. He sacrificed his freedom for her, now was the time to pay him back – at all costs. Or was it already too late?...

"Told ya already..." the growing anger was evident in his voice. "He. Isn't. HERE!" Out of sudden, his hand jerked up and clenched painfully on her throat. Kami, he still was strong as an ox, she couldn't catch her breath. Suffocating, she managed to cough up "Gaara... please..."

Cruel grin grew wide on redhead's face.

"He's not..." and just then, his head hit violently wall behind him, as if being controlled by some external force. Hand, once strangling her, now fell limp to boy's side. She gathered all her courage and tried not to run for her dear life. One more time, his head hit the wall, now more rapidly and forcefully, leaving stain of blood on it.

"Stop it, you fucker!" redhead growled furiously, his face distorted in pain. When his head ducked in front, getting ready for another hit, she grabbed it with both her hands, trying to stop its motion.

"Hinata..." quiet word escaped from his lips. She recognized instantly this voice – it was him, Gaara! Then, once again, his eyes opened. They were aqamarine. Expression of pain was gone from his face, being replaced with emotionless mask.

"Gaara! Listen to me!" she said, feeling relieved. "I'll try to persuade Raikage to set you free! This way or another, I'll surely succeed! And..."

"No need" replied jinchuuriki weakly, odd look in his eyes contrasting awfully with his miserable state. "This is where I should be from the very beginning. Now..." he closed his eyes, his head was falling limply on his shoulder "go, before you get hurt..."

"Quit joking!" she yelled on the top of her lungs, her blood boiling with rage. "I've traveled whole Land of Lighting only to find you! And now you tell me to..."

"Exactly. I don't deserve better. Go away." Her teammate's words stunned her. This wasn't Gaara she knew... just a wreck of a human.

"G-Gaara..." she stuttered. This wasn't what she had expected.

"Well, well, well. B told me to take care of rats in jinchuuriki confinement room." A new voice sounded from behind them, feminine and amused. "But never mentioned they would be so large."

xxx

AN: Soo... how huge rats can be? About Hinata's size :P

Now, the story begin somewhere in the middle of the actual plot. Gradually, I'll try to explain whole history. Do you like it?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 2. in which Hinata gets her sweet little bottom saved... probably

There was quite a lot of things she had learned during this journey. One of them, the higher she was, the safer she was. Other one, never turn your back to a potential danger. Next, never go to places which have only one exit. Unfortunately, it seemed that she already broke all those rules, being in the deepest basement she's ever seen, with some unknown kunoichi behind her, blocking her only escape route. To Hyuuga Hinata from a month ago, several weeks after the chuunin exams, this situation would have been totally and utterly helpless – meaning instant fainting. Hyuuga Hinata from here and now was aware that she still got a slight chance, she only needed not to give in overwhelming feeling of panic. Gaara seemed to be unconscious - not the greatest news, but at least he won't get in her way. She had to think quickly. Activating byakugan was out of the question, as she needed a hand seal to do so – it would reveal that she was a ninja, and...

"You heard me, scoundrel! Come here so I can see your face!" shouted the woman from behind. Wasting more time could be suspicious. For now, she had something up her sleeve: the other ninja didn't know about Hinata's abilities. Slowly, she turned around and directed her step towards new source of light. Her enemy was a woman around Kurenai sensei's age, with slim body, blonde hair and perfect, beautiful face. ANBU mask was mounted to her belt.

_"__Crap__!" _thought Hinata while frownig slightly. ANBU usually don't work alone, another one could be anywhere. Too much for single weak Hyuuga to handle. She didn't protest as her eyes were tightly covered with some kind of special sealing scroll and she was led upstairs, away from Gaara's cell. Now, struggling was useless, as narrow staircase was the only way of escape, and could be already blocked by other ANBU at the exit. She just had to wait for a chance, an opening... She had to be strong, like during her travel through Land of Lighting.

Finally, the stairs finished and that they got to the first floor. She could feel fresh air on her face. So, they were leading for exit, huh?

"Oi, Nii-san!" Some strange voice called after them.

"Don't call me 'nii-san'! I'm not your older brother!" (AN: "nii-san" is used to address older brother in japanese, and "Nii" is woman's surname, with "-san" as honorific... yep, that's Yugito Nii I'm talking about :D) woman yelled back in response.

"Sorry, sorry..." The other person sounded troubled. "I just wanted to ask what are you doing with this little beggar in Raikage Tower, that's all." Beggar? Hinata knew she surely didn't look pretty in her ragged clothes, that once were gray hoodie and green cargo pants, but still – she felt a bit insulted.

"It's a... robber" Her captor stated coldly. "Unfortunately for her, she choose wrong place to ferret around." A robber? Now she felt really insulted, she would never steal anything, even if her life depended on it... No! Focus, girl! Focus on finding a way to escape! "Now, I'm going to interrogate her. See ya, Akira" and with those words, the woman lead her outside. The cold wind hit her face violently. Here, in high mountains, it was already late autumn.

"Let's just make things clear" Hinata heard a whisper right next to her ear. Woman's grip on her shoulder tightened painfully - she seemed to be even stronger than Gaara. "We both clearly know you're no robber, but a ninja from Kami-knows-where. Don't you even think of escaping, ANBU patrols already know of someone breaking in the city, and are super wary now." Situation had just got worse, but there was still hope. As long as Hinata was alive – she could take some action (even if it meant shinigami seal). That was the most important thing that Baki taught her during her short stay in Suna.

They have been walking quite some time, as if going to the outskirts of Kumogakure. Having her eyes covered with some weird scroll, Hyuuga didn't even try escaping, seeing only black in her field of vision. Running randomly into a wall wouldn't be pretty, right? She was growing more and more agitated – it didn't seem that her captor would easily let her guard down, creating a chance to escape. Finally, they stopped. Woman beside her knocked loudly. No, wrong, it was rather sound of a door-knocker.

"Nii-san!" She heard sounds of gate being opened, and some low, manly voice greeted the enemy ninja beside her.

"Just go to hell, all of you! Don' call me 'nii-san'!"

"Geez, woman, calm down. It's not my fault you have this stupid surname." Man seemed to be accustomed to such harsh words. "So, we have a guest, huh? Get in, both of you." Stumbling on the threshold, she was lead inside. The scent inside building was rather... pleasant. Cinnamon cookies? Curry? What the?...

"Sit. Put both hands on the table" woman ordered her. She could hear that someone poured water into something – kettle maybe? - and set fire. Something was put on the table, and the scent of cookies got stronger. Were they in the kitchen?

"So, who is she?" asked man, openly curious.

"It's this 'rat' you was talking about, the one from jinchuuriki's cell. Thought you may want to see it. It's well-mannered, didn't even try escaping... Who knows, maybe it knows even some tricks!" woman chuckled.

"Uhm..." Awkward silence. "A (AN: A, the Raikage.) told me to get rid of rats in the basement... but you know, rodents..."

"WHAT?" woman's mood changed from delight to fury. "Are you saying you just saddled me with dirty work assigned to YOU, again?"

"Yu-chan, calm down, calm down... Hide those claws, please..." this time man was panicked. "We have more important matters to deal with, right?"

"Hmph. So you didn't know there is actually a prisoner in the confinement room?"

"...there is? Is it this one?" It seemed like they were talking about her, Hyuuga Hinata.

"Of course not, moron! Seriously, you're getting senile!"

"I'm only 32! Besides, if it's not the jinchuuriki – who's this chick?"

"Some ninja, obviously. Who else could get into Raikage Tower unnoticed?"

Their chit-chat was getting on her nerves. She had been thinking she was already familiar with talking about her as if she wasn't in the same room – the questionable charm of being the weakest Hyuuga in clan. Yet, she still felt angry with them, underestimating her as if she was a piece of thrash. For Kami's sake, she managed to get into the heart of Land of Lighting, break into village hidden in clouds, and then into Raikage Tower, all alone! It wasn't nothing! ...And she desperately needed to get rid of this scroll blocking her field of vision, the sooner the better.

"Why d-don't you just a-ask then?" she said aloud, intending to push them out of balance. Furious people tend to think irrationally.

"Soo... what's your name, little girl?" As if she would really tell them.

"T-tsubaki." Hinata replied as convincingly as she could.

"You're a bad liar, really. But okay, 'Tsubaki' is fine for now." Woman's voice was cold as ice. Atmosphere in the room seemed to get more serious. "Mind telling us what have you been doing in jinchuuriki confinement room, **Tsubaki-chan**?"

"Talking." Come on, Hinata, get a grip on yourself! Think, think!

"Certainly. Something about setting him free... what was his name again... Gaara?" So she heard her before. Crap.

"Huh? Why would anyone want to get a jinchuuriki out of prison?" The man was shocked, this much was obvious. She decided not to answer.

"Let me ask you again: why did you want to free him? What's the relationship between you two?"

"They're spies, obviously." stated woman, as if it was evident.

"Ever seen a spy getting overpowered so easily, with only vision sealing scroll?" the man asked her dryly. Silence.

"Oh, Kami! Just who in the world are you?" Woman seemed to be loosing her cool. Good. Now, how to anger her a little more?...

"You w-wouldn't believe me a-anyway." And it was true, as Hinata hardly could believe herself - so much happened since assignment of this brain-dead mission...

"Whatever!" angry woman muttered under her breath, Hyuuga heard her taking few steps in left. Shortly after, she heard something like rummaging in cupboard, putting a cup down, some rustling and pouring water. A new scent filled the room, was it green tea with jasmine? Just like then...

* * *

_"Please, help yourself" an old man proposed, moving tray with nut muffins closer to indigo haired kunoichi._

_"N-no, t-t-thank you." she politely declined, trying not to show her nervousness to him – and obviously failing. She was sitting in Sunagakure Council's chairman's dusty office. The day before, during official meeting with elders, she didn't manage to look closely at said man. Now she realized how old he really was. The skin on his face was covered with wrinkles, furrows even near his dark eyes and thin mouth. He had a silver beard, which seemed to be considerably thinner than his bushy eyebrows. He was wearing simple outfit, probably common among people of Sunagakure: light mantle thrown on his cream shirt was elegantly contrasting with his dark, baggy pants. From the very first glance one could say that the chairman was serious person, and his office was arranged in similar manner. Furniture wasn't as fancy as in Kazekage Tower, though still could be considered stylish._

_She felt that she was being rude, staring recklessly at the office, and averted her gaze to the cup of green tea before her. Chairman said it was his special blend: with jasmine and little pieces of dried fruits. Hesitantly, she took a sip. It was truly delicious. (AN: nope, I haven't tried that blend of tea, only green with jasmine.)_

_"Lady Hyuuga" stated old man, taking a muffin in his hand "let's save all the small talk for some more official occasion, shall we? For now, I would like to hear your honest opinion, without all this political talk. How do you imagine your stay in Suna?"_

_For a couple of seconds, Hinata was speechless. She was unprepared for such turn of events, expecting rather formal greetings and questions._

_"U-um..." she started to play with her fingers, feeling even more uncomfortable than she was before. "W-welll... I... I d-don't want to be a b-burden! B-besides, I w-would like to r-r-resume my sh-shinobi t-training... a-and also go on m-missions."_

_"Oh." Elder just finished eating his muffin and mused over her statement. "Of course, Suna has common training grounds. Still, the matter of your training is far more complicated. As a kunoichi from different village, you can not be exposed to dangers like every Sunagakure's ninja..."_

_"O-o-onegai!" Hinata stood up from her seat and bowed deeply. "O-onegai, I d-don't want to be a n-n-nuisance to a-any of you! D-don't make any e-exceptions f-for me, p-please! I -I want to... I w-want to b-be a r-regular n-ninja!"_

_The chairman looked unflinchingly at the young girl before him._

_"I'm afraid it is not possible, Hyuuga-san. You are not – and will never be – a regular kunoichi. You're aware of this fact, aren't you?"_

_Hinata sat down, uneasy._

_"You are practically one of many terms of the most recent peace treaty with Konohagakure. You do not have much choice, really" the chairman stated with his usual carefree manner._

_"I-I'm a-afraid I-I do not u-understand..." stuttered Hinata._

_"Sunagakure can't let you get hurt in any way, since this would lead even to a war. Taking this reasoning further, either your training or missions seem to be out of question, really."_

_"I-I'll b-be... a c-civilian? A p-p-prisoner?"_

_"A 'prisoner'?" elder chuckled. "A 'fragile princess' is more suitable term in this situation. And since you are a shinobi, you would be perfectly fine with obeying this order, right?"_

_"No" was what she wanted to say. Instead, some odd sound escaped her dry throat._

_"As I was saying" the old man looked at her with amusement "sending you on missions on standard conditions is unacceptable. However, if you assent it, there is a - let's just say – a workaround. A special long-term mission, which can be assigned only to you. What is your decision?" Man continued his speech in friendly tone, although his stare was now colder, calculating even. Hinata clenched her fists under the table. Another mission? She had just arrived to Suna... Something was definitely suspicious! However, she knew that elder was right – getting injured would bring disastrous effects. It was now or never: once she does agree to leave behind her shinobi training, she would never come to back to shape she's in now – which simply meant becoming a civilian. A mere, pathetic civilian girl, perhaps a servant of main Hyuuga house... No! She couldn't let it end like this!_

_"I-I agree." she stated calmly, trying not to flinch under chairman's gaze._

_"Oh, perfect!" elder exclaimed joyfully, then started to rummage drawers of his desk. "You'll need to sign an official agreement to that... where is it, where is it... Got it!" The chairman gave her tiny scroll. And she started to read it._

'I, Hyuuga Hinata, sound in mind, hereby declare Sunagakure not guilty in case of '

_She gulped, trying to calm her breath and shaking hands._

'… of my death.'

_Was it a pact with the devil? After signing this, she would be a perfect target for anybody! Still, if she doesn't sign..._

_"Oh, don't worry, it is just in case. You know, to prevent a break of war and such."explained old man, carefree as ever._

_Speechless, Hinata was staring at the elder before her. He was smiling kind-heartedly. Feeling odd, she signed scroll. Maybe it was the most stupid thing she had ever done in her life, but also the bravest._

_"A cookie, maybe?" he asked with a genuine, pointing to the tray with nut muffins._

_"N-n..." And she did what seemed to be most suitable in this situation – fainted._

* * *

"And if I said I actually would believe you – what would you tell me?" asked the man, composed unlike his female companion. Now, that was a good question- who was she, after whole this time?

"A heiress."

"You don't look like one." Hell, who would, after a month of survival in freaking forests? "I ask you one last time: who are you?"

"I'm..." she started, but got interrupted by loud knocking on the gate. After few seconds, she could hear squeaking of hinges.

"Ohaiyo. B-san..." she could hear some meek greeting from far away.

"That's jinchuuriki-sama for you!" Thundered a man, apparently called B. Was it even a name?... Wait, did he say jin...

"Jinchuuriki-sama" the same uneasy voice corrected himself. "I'm sorry to bother you, but we've been told to ask everyone... A direct order from Raikage, however embarassing it would sound... By any chance, have you seen any outsider today?"

"Nah, 'course not., and you, Nii-san?" he yelled in her general direction.

"Just go to hell with all 'nii-san' this, 'nii-san' that! And I've been getting rid of rats from Raikage Tower's basement, remember? How could I see any outsider down there?" woman answered.

"See? Now, if you please." and B shut the gate with apparently too much force, because Hinata could hear that pane in nearby window trembled dangerously. They were covering her? More importantly – was B really a jinchuuriki? It would mean their mission was almost successful. Well, 'almost' made a big difference...

"Heard that, little girl? We've just saved your sweet little bottom. Now, could you **please** have a little faith in us and tell honestly – who are you?" the man asked again, clearly impatient. Maybe it was really time to get honest? After all, this man was the only one who could help Gaara.

"I'm... the imprisoner's teammate. Our mission was... to ask you for help."

"Help?" sneered woman. "Ever heard of diplomatic protocol? Of ambassadors?"

"Our countries aren't in good relationships... and this is rather... personal matter" Hinata was becoming more and more anxious. Situation was getting worse each second.

"Personal?"asked the man sceptically.

"Just spill it already! We don't have all eternity for such stupid games!" growled woman. Hinata took a deep breath. Calm down, girl! Calm down!

"Gaara is a jinchuuriki. He needs help with taming his demon."

"...and how should we know this is not a bunch of lies?"

"G-go and t-talk to him... p-please! H-h-help him! I'll do a-anything, but h-help him, I'm b-begging you!" she felt tears under her eyelids, too many to hold them back. First tear rolled down her cheek, then another, and another. She felt panic slowly raising in her chest - it was too much for her. All pas events were coming back in bitter waves, bringing remorse. This whole mission went wrong from the very beginning, because of her.

"I b-beg you... h-help him..." she sobbed, clenching her fists, nails digging into flesh of her hands. "P-please..." new flow of tears rolled from her closed eyes. She was weak, once again. In the end, the didn't believe her... Everything was in vain... Gaara...

"Enough of this slush, it makes me sick!" she heard woman's hiss and felt a pressure point on her neck being hit. Defenseless as her senses and consciousness were slowly fading away, she heard a quiet: "You've grown soft, Yugito."

* * *

AN: I hope I didn't make things more complicated than they already are. So... yes, the jinchuuriki confinemet room is in the Raikage Tower (at least according to me). Nice way of showing off Kage's power.

I haven't read Naruto manga so attentively to know everything about Lang of Loghting, so I'll make up many things.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. :c

Chapter 3, in which B pays Gaara a visit and makes whole a lot of pancakes

_I'll tell you a story, my little boy._ Sinking... Y_es, the same story I've been telling you countless times before... _In the void of my mind. _The one you know so well..._ Those senseless words... Same old, sick tale. _In a far away land, in the middle of the desert, there was a village: foul, dirty and loathsome, like its residents._ How long has it been? Months? Years? _Their souls were rotten from the lust for power, and their eyes were blinded with greed... but not all were alike._ Chuunin exam and Konoha invasion seem to be so long ago...

_There was a boy, a small hideous boy, with skin white as ghost and hair red as blood._ But it feels like it was just yesterday. _Everyone hated him because he was different, they were saying he was a monster._ Naruto... thank Kami he managed to defeat me and Shukaku then. _The poor idiot didn't understand them, thinking it was not his fault his mother died at childbirth._ Ichibi... who's the real loser? _But you know what, my sweetheart?_ Is it you, bloody demon? _It __**was **__his fault._ Or is it your pathetic jinchuuriki, lost in darkness and despair? _The kid was murderer, and everyone was afraid of him._ Or maybe – is it both of us? _His only friend was small, small bake-danuki which lived in the desert._ Where does end 'I' and begins 'you'? _They were very close: wherever the boy went, the tanuki was coming with him._ I wonder... _The spirit was the only being that wasn't disgusted with this pathetic excuse of a human!_ But it doesn't matter now. _They were living together peacefully for years, trying to soothe boy's pain... and you know what happened one day?_ We both know how this 'fairy tale' of ours will end...

_A fox appeared. _Rotten corpse of mine. _A freaking, hideous nine-tailed fox came to ruin their happiness!_ And delusions. _Foolish kid believed him straight away, turning his back to his only true, loyal friend – the tanuki! _Until the very end. _'I will change' the boy said._ Sickening parade of those, whose blood we've shed. _'I don't need you anymore, bloodthirsty demon' the boy said._ You're aware of it, don't you? _However, the wise bake-danuki waited patiently for all this madness to end._ We're gonna watch all of those distorted faces again. _He knew that the kid would eventually see the light and come back to him._ My mother, my uncle, all those people... _The boy decided to travel to distant mountains to enslave the poor spirit protecting him for all those years!_ And her – Hinata. _Then came the worst cataclysm ever - a little wench, with dark hair and white eyes, even more treacherous than the sly fox!_ She didn't have to die. _The foolish kid trusted her, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she was different from the people from his damn village._ How did we kill her? _And she was!_ I can't even remember it... _Yes, she was different – she was far more worse than them all!_ I told her to run away then... _She had befriended him, and then just left in the grip of their enemies!_ So that she wouldn't see my transformation into demon. _Yes, my little boy, it was her, the same little slut that came to see you recently, Hyuuga Hinata! _But it seems I totally gave in to you... _I've been telling you to kill her long time ago, but you never listened!_ All in order to protect her. _I've been like your mother for all those years, and you turned you back to me!_ Futile... _You redheaded swine!_ Was this all really futile? _You shitty..._

Bound to fail from the very beginning?...

_Huh? What the hell?_

_..._

A cockroach, maybe? My hand's moving... Poor stupid insect, to get into Shukaku's reach...

…

_FUCK OFF!_

"What cockroach? B, that brat offended us!"

Another delusion?

* * *

"FUCK OFF!" roared Shukaku, as pissed as ever. For the first time in his life, Gaara could feel this kind of strange presence in his mind: some muffled voice, as if from behind a very thick curtain, like when he was inside his shield of sand... Judging by demon's behavior, it wasn't a mere delusion.

"Neither of us are cockroaches, kid... still, you were close, as Hachibi isn't the handsome one in our duet..." replied some other voice.

"Hachibi... " growled sand demon menacingly. "Get you filthy ass out of my container's mind!" Did Shukaku know him, the owner of the voice?

"Of course he knows, we're a part of one big, unhappy family. Now, buddy, would you please be a bit more welcoming than your freaking bijuu and concentrate your consciousness? B and I would like to chat with you a bit, and being in your – I dare say – dissolved presence isn't quite... comfortable."

Gathering all his remaining willpower, Gaara tried to stop the sinking sensation, to emerge from within the depths of his mind. It was difficult, like getting out of moving sands while being sucked in. He was trying, irrationally and against all he's been thinking until now. If this... hachibi... wasn't a delusion... maybe Hinata also wasn't? Maybe there's still a chance for him? The last resort until...

Darkness was gradually fading away. After some time, which seemed to be ages, he felt that he at last came to surface. Somehow, he could see Shukaku beside him, waving his tail, growling menacingly and glaring ahead of him. Following his gaze, Gaara has been struck dumb: before him was enormous figure, twice Ichibi's size. It could be easily mistaken for an ox, if one didn't notice its muscular arms and tentacles in place of its legs. There were two horns on its head, one of them was broken. On the muzzle of beast, between its hollow, petrifying eyes, was sitting a man.

"Besides, from anatomical point of view" spoke the man, as if the conversation wasn't ever paused - but then, maybe it really wasn't? " Hachibi doesn't even has an ass... not that I actually looked close..." added the man, clearly amused.

"Quit babbling! Leave us alone, motherfucker!" hissed Shukaku, baring his teeth.

"Oh? B, I hope that 'motherfucker' was just a figure of speech... but whatever. It was your idea to begin with, you do all the talking. And don't you dare to speak of my bottom ever again." the giant ox said dryly. Who on earth was B? Was it this tanned man on beast's muzzle? What exactly were they talking about? Why were they in his head? What was going on?

"Charming as ever, Hachibi... So! Nice to see you, little one." The man waved is his hand in greeting. "My name's B, and – according to Tsubaki's words – you must be Gaara. Um... No offence, man, but you look like something that cat dragged in!... Which, ironically, is literally Tsubaki's case."

"We don't know any Tsubaki! Quit the chatter and leave kid's mind!" Shukaku snarled. "Filthy louses!"

"Oh, she had obviously made up this name – she's a bad liar. Yugito... a friend of mine... found her here, with you. You know, the petite girl, dark hair, horribly skinny... well, maybe not as much as you, but still close... and apparently strange eyes – completely white, as if she was blind. Or so Yu-chan told me."

Hinata! She wasn't dead... moreover, she came all the way here, despite what he had told her. What an idiot...

"Son of a bitch! You're lying, lying just like everyone! Just wait till I make a bloody pulp out of you! Bu..."

"Hush! Hachibi, would you please?" asked B, a bit impatient.

"With delight." said the demon, wrapping one of his tentacles around Shukaku's muzzle, efficiently silencing him. Gaara was looking with amazement and awe – he would never have thought that Ichibi could be treated so... unceremoniously.

"Sorry, little pup, but the last thing we need now is you getting hysterical. So, um..." B scratched his chin, thinking. "Tsubaki told us you're her teammate and that your mission was to ask Kumo's jinchuurikis for help."

"Where is she?" asked Gaara. Hinata was a foreign ninja, caught in Raikage Tower - she could be accused for anything... and punished accordingly.

"Don't worry, she's in my house, Yu-chan is watching over her sleep. Poor thing, all skin and bones, she was exhausted, as if she took a walk through hell."

"It's great you're enjoying yourself B, but you know - our main goal was to make sure if the brat is the real jinchuuriki or not. Now, that we have an evidence right here..." Hachibi interrupted him, struggling to keep Shukaku restrained.

"Yup, yup. Oi! Gaara-kun! Since you have lots of free time here, in this 'homely' prison, I suggest we start your training. Somewhere in your body, there's a jinchuuriki seal. Find it. Easy peasy, I know, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Yo!"

Before Gaara could even think, several things happened all at once: B and Hachibi disappeared from his mind, darkness swallowed him whole, like a rough sea, and Shukaku yelled: "I'll crush you, I'll kill you all, bastards!"

* * *

So warm. Lying in the bed, she opened her eyes, and the black faded instantly to white color of the ceiling. Near the window, which revealed steel-gray sky, were a few spider webs. At once, all kinds of smells hit her nostrils: musky parfume, fresh sheets dried in the wind, pancakes... Where was she? What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was...

"Oh! You're awake!" exclaimed someone from her right side. Turning her head, Hinata saw a pretty, blonde in the wool pullover, sitting in the chair beside her bed and reading some book... Then, a realization hit her: it was her, the captor from before! She desperately tried to move away from her, but couldn't even move her limbs. She could feel she wasn't actually bound, she was just weak, so weak... and had something heavy around her wrists and ankles, much like shackles.

"W-where am I? W-who a-are you?" she asked, suspicious. Her voice was hoarse, as if unused for ages.

"Killer B's house. I'm Nii Yugito, and you should eat a breakfast at once!" the woman smiled and took a step towards Hinata. With this gentle look on her face and subtle scolding tone in her voice, she resembled Kurenai-sensei. Without a warning, indigo-haired girl found herself being held bride-style by older kunoichi and couldn't prevent blushing slightly at such proximity. Nii seemed to not mind her embarrassment, as she left poorly furnished room and walked down the corridor with green wallpaper on the walls. In few moments, they reached the wooden staircase. The first step of stairs creaked loudly just as Yugito's foot touched it.

"She's awake?" someone yelled from the first floor.

"Yes! Prepare the honey!" blonde answered. While seeing Hinata's anxiety, she added "B prepared something special for you, Tsubaki. It's gonna be a real feast!" It didn't calm her though. Everything was strange, unfamiliar: from those stairs, creaking as if they were about to crumble into splinters any moment, to this woman holding her as if she was someone close to her. And...

"Gaara! " She exclaimed, opening her pale eyes widely, looking at blonde with worry. "W-where's G-gaara? W-what did you d-do to him?" Yugito just tightened her mouth.

"He's... well, I can't really say 'all right', because he looks just like living ghost. Yu-chan, come to the kitchen with her faster, we have to talk a bit." announced loudly the same voice as before.

The room they entered was nothing like sterile kitchen cabinet in the Hyuuga mansion or enormous, yet empty kitchen in the Kazekage Tower. It was rather a narrow kitchenette with thousands of shelves with spices and herbs. The cupboards, made of some wood, probably beech, were all half-open, revealing their contents. There was also a small old fridge, placed in the far corner, ridiculously tiny table and an oven... with its owner right beside it. The man was tall and well built, his skin was tanned unlike Yugito's. It contrasted with his bright clothes and white, frilly apron. Kami, he looked so ridiculous with those small sunglasses and pink oven gloves, so girly that Sakura-chan would love them right away!

"What the?..." Nii was as shocked as the younger kunoichi in her arms. "Have you turned gay or something?"

"I just wanted to make good impression, since you're always telling me I'm looking like a villain character... And, um... Hello, my name's B?" the man scratched his head sheepishly, while looking at Hinata apologetically. Meanwhile Yugito seated her at table, carefully placing her shackled hands on the top.

"Was that a question? Yes, you are B, the same old fool which was supposed to prepare liquid honey for our pancakes, not to burn it." she answered, sniffing the air.

"Sh..." B turned to oven and started to stir vigorously the contents of one pot. Just then Hinata noticed the giant plate with pancakes in the center of the table. Once, when she went to Shino's house with Kiba, his mom prepared the pancakes for all the members of family (five) and guests (two) – amount was similar to this before her here and now. Yugito followed her gaze and furrowed brows.

"B, you want to starve her to death? What is she supposed to do with such a small amount of food?"

"Geez, woman, why don't you do something productive instead of criticizing me?" barked B, at the same time stirring the honey and looking for some ingredient at the shelves. Hinata could only stare at them, not really understanding anything.

B poured liquid honey into a jug and placing it on the table "I've seen Gaara today." Hinata looked at him attentively. "He's weak, as you have seen yourself before... and his demon's quite nasty. We've started his training today." B turned away, setting the fire under the kettle.

Hyuuga blinked, dumbfounded.

"Great job, big guy! Now, let's eat! Itadakima-" Yugito clapped her hands and reached to grab the first pancake from the stack, but then noticed that Hinata was sitting motionless.

"W-what's going on here? A-are you really h-helping him? Why?" asked Hinata, her eyes set on B's back. The man slowly turned around, looking at the girl, then at older kunoichi, which nodded. Taking deep breath, he started an explanation.

"You see, all demon vessels share the same burden, being alienated and hated, sometimes even feared. Therefore, we were a bit... surprised, hearing you sort of beg for help for the redhead. Oh, Yu-chan how stupid of us! She can't eat! Remove shackles from her wrists!" Without hesitation, Yugito freed her hands and smiled softly. "Eat, girl, you look like skeleton... Don't worry, it's not poisoned – in fact, it's Yugito's favorite dish. So! Seeing a little girl, appearing out of nowhere in the basement of the Raikage Tower, getting caught almost effortlessly, then pleading and bursting out crying – it was quite surprising, and hard to believe. We decided to check if the prisoner you mentioned is really a demon host, and you're not lying shamelessly. Now we know several things for sure: Gaara's a jinchuuriki, Ichibi's a bitch.. " B stopped, because the water in kettle started to boil. He stood up and prepared three cups of tea. Soon, the fragrance of jasmine filled the kitchenette. Placing one cup before Hinata, he continued explaining. "... and we can't let a fellow jinchuuriki die in prison, basically just for being who he is. I've already asked A about him. Seems that he – along with another person, most likely a_ female_ - was found on the territory of Land of Hot Water, being attacked by some criminals. At first, ANBU took the victims for civilians, and protected them from harm. After the battle, they wanted to ask if they were hurt, but - this part of report was unclear – the boy somehow turned out to be ninja, and refused to reveal his identity. This made ANBU suspicious, so they tried to disable him. His comrade fled, and the redhead himself put up a great fight. If our shinobi didn't use some of their special seals, they would have hard time trying to overpower him. Then, he was transported to Kumogakure and put in strongest prison of this country – jinchuuriki confinement room, previously used to suppress Hachibi's rampages... and show off Raikage's power at the same time. He was interrogated several times, but his only answer was 'live us alone'. Um... You still haven't eaten anything. C'mon, help yourself."

Seeing that B wouldn't say anything more if she didn't eat something, she took one pancake and bit hesitantly. It was good, maybe even better then at home. B sipped his green tea slowly, as if pondering what to say next.

"If you pour some honey on it, it's even better. Look, just like that." said Yugito, showing what did she mean. After literally devouring the pancake she closed her eyes, enjoying the taste. "B, that's delicious! As always!"

"Is that the reason you're making me cook whenever you feel like eating something sweet?" the man chuckled, but turned serious again. "Back to the original topic, Tsubaki. We're helping Gaara because he's a jinchuuriki, and apparently needs a push in the right direction. We're helping you, because you are his friend, what in turn makes you our friend. Unfortunately, that's all we can do right now, with the main subject imprisoned..." B looked away. Heavy silence fell in the kitchenette. Suddenly, the continuous sound made by refrigerator seemed to be as loud as a roar of waterfall. Why none of them was saying anything? Why were they avoiding her gaze? Hinata ducked her head, looking at her cup of green tea as if it would help her understand. One moment, the man said they would gladly help Gaara, the other moment he said they can't while he's held in the confinement room. For Kami's sake, what actually were they up to?

Just then, a realization hit her.

"Y-you want **me** to free him?" Hinata asked calmly.

"If Raikage finds out that jinchuuriki, thought and proven to be the most loyal shinobi in whole Kumo, plot something just under his nose, he will surely get mad. Furious enough to decapitate me, you, B, Gaara and all those unfortunate enough to be in his reach. " Nii whined. "And he will find out, sooner or later, with those chakra-sensing guards of his."

"We're already in pretty serious conspiracy, right here and now." B added, a tint of worry in his voice. "We risk our heads by not revealing the fact that we know about you, Tsubaki."

It was only logical and understandable they didn't want to lose their faces... err, heads... in front of their Kage. She was already prepared for getting her teammate out of his cell by herself, those news weren't shocking. Still, she felt slightly nervous now, that she was about to tell them everything. They were risking too much to not know the whole truth. Trying to calm her thoughts, Hinata took a breath.

"F-fine." she said, looking at her trembling hands. "I-I'll do it. Thank you f-for all your help, I really appreciate it, G-gaara surely does, too. Please, l-let me explain everything. N-no more lies."

Hesitantly, she lifted her head and looked at serious faces of B and Yugito.

"M-my real n-name's Hyuuga Hinata, I'm the h-heiress of the Hyuuga clan of K-konohagakure. G-gaara's the third child of the l-late fourth K-kazekage." Upon hearing this, the tanned man whistled through his teeth. "And c-criminals you mentioned earlier, t-those from the ANBU r-report, were a-actually after m-my eyes."

* * *

AN: Thanks for reviews, BCA and kandita!

And – thanks for those chocolate cookies, BCA :P they delicious in some specific, internet way x)

The first paragraph are thoughts of Shukaku (in cursive) and Gaara mixed together, hope I made it clear.

I certainly took my time writing this chapter. I must say it was harder than two first ones – nothing interesting is really happening here, but it was necessary: to explain the situation Hinata co. found themselves in, the relationships between them... Boooring. Still, I've tried my best to make it more acceptable.

By the way – have you ever wondered about bijuu's anatomy? x)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4, in which Raikage works overtime

Mist.

Slowly raising from the ground, thick like a curtain weaved by Mother Nature. Covering trees before tall man's eyes, slowly climbing on the walls of nearby houses, it seemed to be out of this world, so white in the light of setting sun, moving slowly, silencing all sounds... Well, maybe except the pleas of villagers interrogated by his sadistic companion.

"No! I swear, I sweaaaaarrr... I don't know, please..." someone sobbed from behind his back. Annoying... but if one would use his imagination a bit more, somehow all the screams were composing almost ideally with the scenery around. Mist, like mourner, was slowly covering dead bodies with its white sheet.

"If you don't have anything else to say – at least be useful!" other voice announced, rather cheerfully, and something sharp cut through the air with menacing 'swishhhh'. Plea stopped. At the same time tall, masked figure felt some warm sensation on his back.

"_And the lyrical atmosphere went straight to hell..._" he thought, grinding his teeth. That's what you get for letting the fool do as he pleases. He was in really, really foul mood now. First, he had to let go those pretty Byakugan eyes (and keep in mind that those were worth a small fortune in black market!), then his idiotic comrade insists he would take care of the interrogation, and now...

"Oh, sh... Man, I'm soooooo sorry! Just how could this happen..." his silver-haired companion was trying to explain himself, but stopped after looking into comrade's eyes. Oh, Jashin-sama, please have mercy on your humble servant – this look... The last time he's seen Kakuzu so furious was when he accidentally drowned his bounty payment in a lake...

Without a word, the tall man removed three-bladed scythe from his back and threw it fiercly on the ground. Next, he took off his black coat with red clouds pattern and presented its back to frightened culprit.

"Look closely. See this cut? Yes, this one in the center, almost 30 centimeters long! It's the fifth cloth you managed to destroy. Now I even do not have any spare ones - and sewing the material as damaged as this one is out of the question... Moreover!" Kakuzu added, throwing Akatsuki attire on the ground "After whole day – let me repeat, WHOLE GODDAMN DAY! - of interrogating villagers, you didn't get _any_ information about the scroll. You were just playing around with this toy-like scythe of yours and this" the man pointed at his back, on which black threads were moving like centipedes, sewing damaged skin together " is all you managed to achieve!"

Outskirts of a small town they visited were silent. Townspeople, alive and unaware of their future merely few hours ago, were now lying in the mud of dust and their own blood. Kakuzu's words seemed to be as loud as struck of lightning with the silence around them.

"But... But Kakuzu-sama, it seems there weren't any people who knew anything scrolls from the Land of Whirlpools! In fact, some didn't even know such country even existed..."

"In order to come to such conclusion, you needed whole day and five coats?" Kakuzu asked menacingly, moving slowly towards Hidan.

"B-but..." the only thing he could think of was that Jashin-sama surely was delighted after receiving so many sacrifices. However, under current circumstances, it surely was not a good argument.

"Silence." Kakuzu stopped right before his comrade and lowered his head to be on the same eye level. Unpleasant odor immediately hit nostrils of silver-haired man. That was one of many reasons he just hated to be around Kakuzu... "Go back to our headquaters, get me several new sets of clothing. And bring Itachi with you. I have a feeling that his Sharingan might be useful. We'll meet near Kumogakure."

"Itachi? Wasn't he somewhere in the Land of Fire? Getting there would take several days..."

"Get him. And Hurry up – time is money."

Hidan immediately disappeared in the cloud of smoke, which started to lazily mix with thickening mist. Kakuzu sighed and looked around. Village looked as if it was a battlefield. Not a single human being was spared, paved streets were crimson because of blood. This Hidan! Never taking care of mess he creates around him! It would be quite problematic if some Kumogakure ANBU saw such massacre in the Land of Frost.

* * *

In the last rays of the sun going down, usually colorful buildings of the village hidden in clouds were gray and gloomy. This impression was reinforced by shinobis in their formal attires, wandering on the streets, guarding the city due to the recent trespass. It was already the second day after someone broke into their village - and the said person still wasn't found! Even ANBU officers were clueless. Some were saying that this commotion is the effect of some paranoid chuunin's imagination. After all, who in his right mind would invade village with two perfectly trained jinchuurikis? Still, townspeople were afraid. To calm them down, Killer B himself went to look for any signs of mysterious invader. At least, that's what he said officialy.

In fact, only three people in Kumogakure knew what tanned man was really looking for, two of which were sitting in his bathroom, dealing with their own problem.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, Hina-chan, I didn't mean to..."

"Ouch!"

"Alright, then I'll try to..."

"Awwww!"

Yugito sighed. Combing hair as tangled as Hinata's wasn't an easy task. After a month of not properly taking care of them, every type of hair, even short and straight, would be insanely messy. Sitting on the side of white bathtub, she started to play with her long, bound hair. The only window in bathroom, all black at this hour, was reflecting countours of her face.

"_What to do, what to do?..._"she thought, frustrated.

Those hideous green tiles on the floor and walls were just amplifying her irritation. Who the hell told this geezer to make his bathroom in the grass color?! Oh, right, it was herself... Still, he didn't have to listen! Didn't he grow any backbone?!

"Um... Hina-chan, mind if I cut your hair? Like, um... completely?" she just hoped that the young girl didn't notice the tone of impatience in her voice.

"Y-yu-chan, didn't you just a-ask a few m-moments ago?' Hinata, standing near sink and leaning slightly on it, looked curiosly in the mirror reflecting herself and her new friend. Yugito furrowed brows.

"No, I'm sure I did not."

"Oh, s-so it was j-just a d-d-deja vu." The girl smiled lightly. "I t-tend to have those quite o-often recently. P-please, c-cut my hair i-if you find it n-necessary."

Nii was amazed by Hyuuga's inner calmness. If it was herself, she would do anything to keep her hair as long as possible! After short "wait a sec", Yugito headed to the kitchen to get a pair of scissors. She knew this house as well as her own, in fact she was paying visits to B almost everyday, they knew each other since they were both children.

In the light of a bulb, kitchenette seemed even smaller than it really was. There were still some pancakes left on the table, much to Yugito's delight. Grabbing one from top, she briefly looked on the chair on which Hinata was sitting during her breakfast. The girl seemed so nervous back then... No wonder, when Nii first saw her, Hinata seemed to be taken straight out of a nightmare, and her story proved it right.

Heading back to bathroom with scissors in her hand, Yugito heard the sound of the massive front door unlocking, and B's voice announced loudly "Tadaima!"

"Okaeri!" Nii responded cheerfully. Honestly, everything was getting boring without him around. This idiot would always do something unpredictable...

"How did it go?" the woman exclamed, almost running through spacoius corridor with crimson flowers painted on the walls (Yugito was actively helping during last renovation). B seemed to be cold, even though he wore thick, woolen sweater over his usual attire.

"It took me some time, but at last I've found it." saying that, he took some cloth out of his pocket. Looking closely, Nii saw some kind of seal paited onto it, although it seemed quite exotic to her. She was sure no one in Kumo knew this kind of pattern.

"Are you sure it's her backpack?"

"I also had imagined it to look somewhat more... neat, but it still fits Hinata's description. Remember? Backpack sealed in cloth, which is placed in the hollow of old poplar, the highest one around clearing, around 5 kilometers from the village." B shrugged. "If it's not her backpack, it surely looks suspicious, so I didn't wander in those creepy woods for nothing."

"Let's ask Hinata, she's waiting in the bathroom."

At least that's what Yugito thought until she got back to bathroom. Hinata was gone, and open window was swinging slowly, as if waving 'goodbye'.

* * *

Shadowy figure was leaping from roof to roof, coming straight to Raikage Tower. Its loose clothes were flapping in the air, but none of shinobis wandering in the streets seemed to notice.

"_So this is what nights are like in village hidden in clouds._" Hinata thought, inhaling cold and humid air. "_Sunagakure's nights were a lot more welcomig... _"

Thanks to her Byakugan, she was able to see several strong chakra systems in the Kage workplace, the strongest one seemed to be in the highest floor of the building. Who would have thought that Raikage was willing to take overtime?...

Suddenly, she realized that other two strong, two-colored chakra systems started to move fast around 500 meters behind her. B and Yugito must have realized she's gone. She felt bad about this sudden disappearance, but it was for their own good. If Raikage was really such a violent man, it would be better if her saviors didn't even know about her plans involving Gaara's rescue.

With the last, long leap she jumped on the wall of the Tower. Pouring chakra in her feet and hands, she started to move slowly towards the side of the building which seemed unused at the moment. Her muscles began to ache with each movement, but she didn't even wince. She had far more serious problem right now: all the windows were closed, and coming through the door was out of the question: its guards were taking their job very seriously. Breaking glass would surely... "_no, wait... is that?..._" Hinata murmured to herself while climbing swiftly up the wall. The window on the last floor was slightly opened. It was her chance!

Stepping carefully, lightly as breeze, she was constantly scanning her surroundings. All the shinobis were moving on floors under her. Here, on the very top of the Tower, she was alone with Raikage.

White-eyed girl stopped before large wooden door in dark corridor. With a silent "_Kami, please!_" she knoced.

"P, I'm busy! Trade contracts won't read and sign themselves!" booming voice sounded from the room, slightly irritated.

Holding her breath, she knocked again.

Silence.

"Come in."

Hesitantly, she opened the door. The bright light of electric bulb blinded her, making her deactivate Byakugan. When her eyes accomodated, she quickly looked around her. Walls were painted in simplistic white, and lacking any kind of decoration. The only furnitures were bookstands with neatly arranged scrolls, two chairs and solid, ebony desk. There, behind tons of papers, was sitting the Raikage. His white hair was contrasting with tanned skin, making him look as more exotic as B. From what she heard, she deduced that the leader of Kumo would be around the said jinchuuriki's age - instead, he seemed to be a bit younger that third Hokage. Even though he resembled a familiar and friendly person, Hinata knew best that looks can be deciving. The Raikage was incredibly short-tempered and fast, as stated Yugito. Now, this man was looking straight at her, like a predator playing with its prey.

"What do you want?" he asked menacingly.

"P-pleasereleasethep-p-prisoner!" she almost shouted as quickly as she could and bowed deeply.

"What?"

"P-p-please r-release t-t-t-the p-prisoner in j-jinchuuriki c-cell!" she repeated, still bowing.

"Why would I do it?" Kumo leader asked with false curiosity.

"_He won't..._" Hinata realised. Her heart started to race. "_He won't do it. It's over... I failed!_" Panic was overwhelming. It was her plan from the very beginning, she was prepared, and yet!...

Long seconds of silence were passing one after another, and Hinata couldn't calm her breath. What was she thinking, barging into Raikage office like this?! It was insane, utterly insane! She should have told Yugito and B, they would surely come up with some better plan! She was as stupid and useless as always! Her father was right, she was a failure, not suited to be even a civilian...

"Sit."

Bewildered, white-eyed kunoichi lifted her head.

"Sit, girl. Sit and calm down." A repeated, pointing at the chair at the opposite side of the desk. Her shocked stare met calm, black eyes, and she slowly sank into a chair with light padding.

Meanwhile the Raikage arranged neatly his papers to make more space on the top the desk. Then, after performing a short search in nearby closet, he put sake cups before himself and his guest, and poured the transparent alcohol from found bottle.

"Drink" he ordered.

Hinata looked at him with a mix of terror and incomprehension.

"It's ordinary sake. Come on, drink, it's an order. I'll drink with you."

Having said that, tanned man emptied his cup with a quick sip. She have never drank any alcohol, but A's expectant look was too much for her to handle. She lifted the cup to her mouth and tried to swallow all at once, like Raikage did. Sake was burning her dry lips and throat. She could swear her stomach did a somersault, but in the end she started to fill pleasantly warm.

"Not so bad, eh? Warms all body up. Honestly, I would gladly offer you some coffee, but it would require calling P... oh, wait, he isn't on duty today... so calling either H or N, and I suppose you wouldn't like to be discovered. After all, whole ANBU forces are looking for you, miss."

All she could do, was stare at him. Was this man, now refilling his cup, really that furious Raikage?

"Still, their inability to find _you_, the tresspasser..." he stopped, amused by Hinata's confused look "yes, the tresspasser from two days ago. It wasnt that hard to figure out. So, my ANBU's failure clearly shows how weak our village can be... and how much we do trust in our _jinchuurikis_" he put strong accent on the last word.

"J-j-jiin?... I-I don't..." the girl started to deny, but literaly froze under A's cold stare.

"I hate lies. Moreover, it's no use now - miss, I could smell Yugito's parfum all over you, and you are wearing B's old pajamas. The one he managed to slightly burn while playing with my tobacco pipe - look, there's a patch on the right sleeve..."

"N-no! Th-they didn't d-do a-a-anything w-wrong, I s-swear! D-don't p-pun-n-nish them, p-p-please!" cold sweat was rolling down her burning skin. How could she be so careless!

Raikage only smiled. Wrinkles on his face deepend a bit, making him look tired.

"I won't draw any consequences, you have my word. After all, they're my most trusted shinobis. If I didn't have faith in them, I wouldn't leave a window unlocked on this floor. You came faster than I expected."

"H-how... "

"I know my men. B started to behave odd ever since I ordered him to clean jinchuuriki cell... And then, Ni-san suddenly took a week off. Her, the well known workaholic! I had a feeling they were hiding something... and was right" Raikage emptied his cup and sighed.

"B and Nii-san don't think you have bad intensions - I trust their judgement. Well, I already said too much, it's your turn now, miss..."

"H-hyuuga. M-my n-name is H-h-hyuuga H-hinata."

"Then, miss Hyuuga, tell me everythng: who are you, who is the prisoner, what is the relationship between you two... and finally, why did you come here, to the village hidden in clouds."

Hinata furrowed brows.

"I-I'm from K-konohagakure. G-gaara - t-the said p-p-prisoner - is from S-sunagakure."

"Konoha and Suna, eh? I suppose your villages formed some kind of alliance after Sandaime's death."

"Y-yes, t-that is t-the c-case... S-still, c-can I t-t-tell you m-more?"

"I'm all ears" replied Raikage, leaning comfortably on his ebony chair.

"S-sandaime H-hokage d-d-died during r-recent chuunin e-exams. I-in order to w-w-weaken my v-village, S-sunagakure and O-otogakure plotted an i-invasion. A-apparently, O-oto leader, O-o-orochimaru, was j-just using S-suna for his own p-p-purposes. He m-managed to k-k-kill K-kazekage and, c-camouflaged, t-took his o-one who..." indigo-haired girl bit her lips "who t-took H-h-hokage's life - it was h-him."

"Oto, you say..." Raikage mumbled, looking sharply at pale kunoichi. It wasn't the first time he heard about sound village. Each rumor was more disturbing than the last one. "Please, continue."

"A-after the i-incident, our c-c-countries d-decided to r-renew old a-alliance. I-in my v-village, in case of an a-a-absence of the l-leader, the C-council has the H-hokage's p-power and p-p-privileges. M-my c-clan is said to b-be the s-strongest among all t-the o-others in K-konoha, th-therefore it can s-strongly i-influence C-council's d-d-decisions. I-in the end, in o-order to s-strenghten s-signed p-peace t-treaty - I-I had b-been s-sent to S-sunagakure for th-three-years p-peace m-m-mission."

"You must be a great warrior then" Raikage stated, observing changes in her facial expression. "It is a great honor, to be chosen as a link between villages..."

"I-it's n-not the c-case" Hinata replied quietly. "I-I was the w-w-weakest a-among all the H-hyuugas... They g-got r-rid of me."

Her eyes began to dangerously redden, and A was never good with women. What was he supposed to say, _'don't worry'_? Hell, it was a matter to worry about!

"Drink" he ordered, refiling her cup with sake. She did, without a second thought.

"I-in S-suna, the C-c-council Chairman r-requested me to s-stop m-my sh-sh-shinobi t-training for the duration of m-mission. Um... I'm q-quite useless ni-ninja, so... a-after th-three y-y-years of l-living like a ci-civilian, I-I w-wouldn't b-be a-able to c-come b-back to m-my o-o-old life. I was t-too p-proud f-for that. I-it s-seemed it w-w-was j-just w-what the Chairman w-was w-w-waiting for. H-he gave me a-an o-opportunity to c-continue my n-ninja training... by a-a-assigning me a... as he s-stated, 'a s-special l-long-term m-mission'. O-objective w-was to a-a-ask K-kumogakure ji-jinchuuriki to t-train G-gaara."

"That's it?" tanned man raised eyebrows. "Why not use official, diplomatic ways? Were not on particulary good terms with Konoha, much less with Suna, but I'm sure we could somehow pull it off! How many people were sent with you?"

"O-only us - G-gaara and m-myself."

Hinata could swear there were tiny sparks of electricity flying around Raikage. His face was fierce, hands curled into fists.

"Suna sent two _kids _alone? You could be killed any time!"

"I-I... I believe that w-was the t-true p-purpose of this m-m-mission... Y-you see, G-gaara and I, w-we both are... p-p-problematic. I-I'm too w-weak, and he's... u-unstable. H-his b-brother told me that G-gaara became ji-jinchuuriki b-before his b-b-birth. H-he was n-never able to c-control his d-demon p-properly. K-kazekage d-decided that he's a f-failed e-e-experiment, and th-therefore shall be e-e-eliminated."

Raikage buried face in his hands. Madness.

"Y-yet, he s-survived six a-a-assassin-nation a-attempts, the l-last one was of his o-own f-f-family... S-since then, G-gaara became a s-serious th-th-threat to e-everyone... h-he even s-sometimes h-h-harmed Suna v-villagers..."

She stopped, frightened, as huge, tanned hand slapped on the table. It was too much. Raikage grabbed the bottle of sake and drank it all at once. He couldn't show his anger.

"Continue."

"W-we were t-traveling together, a-acting like civilians for the L-land of W-wind's sake. E-everything was going quite w-well, until we a-arrived to L-lilac City. It's..."

"So-called business trading capital of the Land of Fire. South from Konoha, close to border with Land of Hot Springs. Officially the territory of your country, but still very independent" tanned man summarized.

"W-well, yes... S-so, w-when we w-were spending a n-night there, I... I w-was a-almost been k-k-kidnapped. Some c-criminals w-were after m-my eyes... Um, you see, it's about my c-clan. All H-hyuugas have B-byakugan - it's..."

"I know what it is. Continue." he said with notes of anger in his voice. Hinata trembled slightly, but obeyed nonethless.

"A-ah... Gaara c-concluded tha they m-might be hired by my f-family, so we woud be the s-safest somewhere far from K-konoha... That's why we r-run to the Land of H-hot Waters. While s-still in Lilac City, we f-found out about M-moon Viewing F-festival. We thought there w-would be some ninjas to s-scare away k-kidnappers who were ch-chasing us. Apparently, the r-report of Kumo ANBU s-squad describes it w-well. Gaara's c-cover was blown, he t-told me to take my b-backpack and hide s-somewhere far from v-village."

"Let me ask you something: you just said, that those bad guys were after Byakugan, and Gaara thought they were sent by your clan. I see a strong contradiction here, as Hyuuga clan is known to protect its secrets by all costs..." Raikage stopped abruptly. He already said too much. The 'Hyuuga affair' from few years ago was still a taboo in the Land of Lighting.

"I-I was... p-petchrified back then, c-c-couldn't s-shspeak... he d-decided on his ow'..." she felt blood rushing to her cheeks. Was it because of embarassment?

"Summing it up" Raikage tilted back in his chair "Gaara was taken to Kumo, kidnappers gave up on you, and you decided to help your red-headed firend, whom you said to be dangerous. Why?"

Her body felt hot. She could barely hear his voice because of pulse rumbling in her ears.

"H-he... he'sh kind..." she managed to mumble before the world before her eyes turned upside down and went black. He had always been...

Despite what others said...

So kind.

* * *

A sighed, looking at girl's limp body leaning on his desk. Who would have thought she would be totally drunk after just two cups?...

He wapped her tightly in his Kage cloak and threw over his muscular shoulder. For once in his life, he was glad he had been working overtime.

* * *

AN: I don't own Naruto.

I've been busy with my work. Being a trainee programmer can certainly be tiring o_O'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5, in which Killer B's house gets a new look

No one made comments when he ordered 4 sets of takoyaki for late evening snack. No patrolling team asked him about a 'luggage' he was holding over his arm. No one seemed to notice he was knocking on his brother's door _a bit_ too loudly (and swearing when door knocker flew in the air because he used too much strength).

Yeah, sometimes having the title 'Raikage' was really convenient.

For A, being around his brother was usually a bliss. During those rare times they were alone, the older sibling could stop thinking about the leader's duties. No reports, no treaties… However, this time was different.

"You're mental, A." Tiny sparks of electricity were flashing here and there in the dark corridor at the second floor. The Raikage pinched his temple, trying to calm himself down. Those little electric discharges were clear sign he was about to lose his cool. Brothers were standing opposite each other, B had his back covering the door to Hinata's room as if protecting her from harm.

"I'm not" Raikage whispered furiously. "At least not more than other Kages. You heard what the girl had said? Suna managed to seal a bijuu into an unborn child! You won't tell me it's sane!"

"Nor is asking Hinata to be your spy!" Even in the dim light coming from the window, B's enraged face was clearly visible. "What's wrong with you?! "

"Not a spy, listen to me! An 'ally'! And only in case of a serious danger! Look, other countries are…"

"I don't give a shit about other countries! You want to use her! Make her a pawn in a political game!"

It was no use, B just didn't want to listen. A had to think not only about his country, but also take into account Hot Springs and Frost – which allied with Lighting only in order to gain its protection. Now Otogakure became a real threat, and as for Konoha… Leaves still didn't have new Hokage. A heard of some candidates, one of them being Danzou Shimura. Kami, if he was to cooperate with those sand madmen, anything could happen! Raikage needed to have an ace up his sleeve – and certain white eyed girl with connections in both Konoha and Suna would be perfect.

"You can't do that, A! She's still a kid."

The Raikage couldn't look his brother in the eyes.

* * *

Next day's morning started with emergency ANBU meeting. According to report delivered by a panicked messenger, one of the Land of Frost villages literally disappeared from the face of the earth.

A was standing in the middle of the meeting room in ANBU headquarters, looking as if he didn't get much sleep last night. All ninja were standing lined up, none of them dared to say anything. Everybody knew than tired Raikage was more more dangerous than Hachibi… Speaking of which, Gyuuki's host was on time, looking as weary as A.

Raikage looked at his top men, most of them was wearing animal masks. Rabbit, crow, turtle, dog, hawk, mouse, turtle again… Only in Kumogakure, there were around hundred ANBU members, carefully chosen from the best jounins. They certainly were a force to be reckoned with – yet, they weren't able to track down one teenage girl. Sure, B and Yugito did a god job hiding her, but still… bunch of loafers! He cleared his throat _a bit_ too loudly and started to talk.

"I bet you heard the news. There is no village called Frozen Dew anymore, only bare soil. Apparently all inhabitants also disappeared. Frost shinobi are clueless, so Lighting must take action."

"Keep in mind, that enemy is unknown. Divide yourselves in six teams, as usual. First two teams go to Land of Hot Springs and Frost, searching for any clues, seals, suspicious people – anything. Teams three to five – same thing, but in the territory of Lighting. Check everything, suspect everyone! The last team protects Kumo. Yugito, I don't care about your days off, you lead the team one. Myself, I have a meeting with daimyous in Yugakure... tch! As if it was a right time for tea party!" First row of people took a step back when the Raikage subconsciously clenched his teeth. "B, I hate to say it, but you're the second in command while I'm gone, BUT! You cannot change _any_ of my prior decisions, all you're responsible for is protecting Kumo and some paperwork. AM I CLEAR?!"

"Yep" B replied casually.

"Hmph. Yugito, B – stay after this meeting. The rest is dismissed. MOVE IT!" For brief seconds, the room was filled with smoke when all ANBU members simultaneously used Body Flicker Technique.

"Let's get to the point, shall we?" Raikage asked with false courtesy, crossing arms on his chest. "Yugito, you may not know, but your little friend came to my office yesterday."

Nii went pale, pearl of sweat rolled down her face.

"After you return, you're assigned to train Hyuuga Hinata, focus on information gathering."

"Wha… Hai, Raikage-sama." One look at A's bloodshot eyes convinced her not to ask questions.

"_Brilliant._ Dismissed. DISMISSED, I said. Now, B…" he turned to his brother when Yugito disappeared in a puff of smoke "Don't you even think about anything stupid. You're second in command only because C and Darui are coming with me as my escort."

"Hai, _Raikage-sama_." B answered sarcastically. A looked as if he was keeping himself from committing a very, _very_ cruel murder, but in the end managed to regain control over himself. Not taking eyes off his stubborn brother, he reached into his pouch and pulled out three scrolls.

"This" he explained, presenting B the smallest one "is the instruction how to free confined jinchuuriki. These" he gave him two remaining scrolls, with Kage seals visible inside "are the letters of safe conduct for Gaara and Hinata. From now on, you're in charge of training Gaara. Dismissed."

* * *

_Everything in the spacious office was covered with several layers of dust. Papers, scattered in disarray on the massive mahogany desk, looked as if someone just put them aside, taking a break before reading some more. Two pairs of feet were leaving clean trails on the stone floor. Temari was looking around curiously. She hated visiting their father's office, so she had been avoiding it as much as she could. Now she was playing with the giant fan found in the corner, obviously wondering if she could use it._

_The second person stopped near the desk in the center of the room. He didn't like this office even one bit. Bookshelves and bookstands bending under the weight of scrolls, small black chest with 'ANTIDOTES' written on its top, collection of throwing weapons exposed on the walls, spare set of Kazekage robes thrown carelessly on… well, the only chair in the room. Old man clearly stated how much he cared about his guests, making them stand while he would sit comfortably. If it wasn't the only place in whole Suna to talk privately, Gaara would never enter the office of the late Fourth Kazekage._

"_Nah, I guess it won't do, too heavy" Temari stated, putting the fan down. She started to flick the dust from her hands, looking thoughtfully at the collection of kunai and shurikens. "None of us will use it, right? Why not just donate it to the Academy? Kids will have lots of fun and… ah, sorry. I instantly remembered that the we were asked to take care of father's stuff and started thinking what shouldn't be thrown away. Anyway, you wanted to talk, baby bro."_

"_First, don't give away any scrolls or books. Second, my request was accepted. The Council will find me a partner and we'll be leaving for a mission in two weeks from now" he stated stoically, watching his sister's hands fall limply to her sides. _

"_Why? Gaara, you already changed so much! You don't have to do this, don't have to go all the way to the Land of Lighting!" the tone of her voice was high pitched, her face went pale as her outfit. Was it really his boyish sister, the cruelest kunoichi in all Sunagakure?_

_No, of course not – it was Hinata, looking everywhere but right in his eyes._

_They were a day of travel away from the Lilac City, camping near the river. This evening, indigo haired girl had been teaching him how to fish (easy: sitting motionlessly, soaking hook on the rope in the water). After two hours, he had caught nothing, while she had... well, one fish, not even a big one. Even though it was supposed to be their diner, he didn't mind. He really enjoyed learning new things, and tomorrow they would eat to their hearts content in some ramen shop._

"_Um, G-gaara?" she asked, taking a step towards him. Kami, what was this smell?! Oh, right, she was holding a fish in her hand. "C-can you k-kill it, please? I-I mean… I've never… Um… K-kiba usually did this, I… EEEK!" she squeaked and jumped away when his sand took the fish from her. Really, if he didn't see her fighting, he would never assume she was a ninja. He manipulated the sand to squeeze the animal's head, harder and harder, until its body completely stops moving…_

_Just then, he felt something popping into his mouth and swallowed without thinking. It was rather strange, round and slimy… Hinata's jaw dropped._

"_G-gaara, the fish eye… it… it…" she covered her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. Oh, great._

_Wait a minute – if she was laughing, why did she look so petrified and clutched to his shirt?_

…_Shirt? Why was he wearing civilian clothes, just like her? Why were her eyes red? _

_He looked around quickly. Three Kumogakure ANBU, crow, rabbit and turtle, were fighting with two figures in black cloaks with red clods pattern. The fight seemed to be aligned – thank Kami, they had a bit more time._

"_Listen, Hinata" he whispered, pressing his soldier pills in her hands "you know how to use those. If ANBU finds out we're shinobi – run. I'll try to give you as much time to flee as I can. Don't come back to Konoha, those goons might be hired by your clan. Do you understand?"_

_She nodded, then opened her mouth as if trying to say something, but red head looked away, assessing the outcome of the battle. ANBU were overpowering their opponents._

"_Stay still, I'll talk to them. If anything goes wrong, take your backpack and run, don't come back, don't even look back. I can take care of myself."_

_Of course, everything went wrong. He was so occupied with Hinata that he didn't notice a tiny rock flying towards him until it was centimeters from his nose. In a split second, the sand rushed to his side, protecting him from the ricochet. Gaara instinctively looked towards ANBU… and met turtle's eyes. He saw everything, and now was rushing towards them with a katana!_

"_Run!" he ordered, forming the barrier with sand to cover girl's escape. The ninja with turtle mask was as quick as this idiot Rock Lee from leaf village, Gaara had a hard time trying to find an opening to attack him. Suddenly, between the charges with his sword, turtle said:_

"_Wake up, you little pest!" Now what? When did he put those sunglasses on? "Come on, Ichibi controls your body!" Just when the blade was touching his hair…_

Gaara's head hit the wall. His eyes were already open, much to his amazement, but his vision was all blurry.

"Glad to see you awake, princess. Just in time to save my house from being completely wrecked by your stinky demon" someone announced far too loud for red head's liking. Contours around him began to sharpen a bit. There was a huge silhouette before him, composed of different shades of white, red and brown. Just then he realized, that he couldn't move at all, as if he was bound…

"Ready to stand on your own?" the man asked. Tanned skin, sunglasses, tentacles growing from his back… Without a warning, tentacles disappeared, just like Gaara's balance. Only B's reflex saved redhead's nose from being crushed on the wooden floor.

"Oi, you swallowed your tongue or what?" No, he certainly didn't – just the sight before his eyes made him feel a bit uneasy. Something ragged was hanging sadly over … the whole, that once was could have been an actual window. Speaking of holes, there were at least two in the wall before his eyes. And in the wall in the next room. And in the next. Scraps of wallpaper slowly swayed in the cool afternoon breeze.

Meanwhile, Killer B lifted him with one hand and unceremoniously placed him on something, that once was a couch (now, the half of it was missing - or rather was scattered all over the floor). The man leaned on the remains of the wall and crossed his muscular hands over his chest.

"Thank Kami you missed the water pipes… Why do you look at me like that? Yes, it way you who did all this. I swear, if I only knew…" the older jinchuuriki was mourning over his ruined furniture, but Gaara didn't listen. He realized his ribs were hurting with each breath. Looking down on his body, he saw an impressive collection of bruises and scratches. His muscles were aching just underneath his skin. It must be another nightmare, like many others. Definitely. Still, he had to be sure.

"Where… am I?" he croaked, looking expectantly on the older male.

"_The very bottom of hell"_ some irritated voice echoed in his ears. _"Hah, this bastard is better than I expected. He blocked Thousand Years of Pain with no effort. Gah, kiddo! Take these shackles off, and we'll kick his sorry ass!" _Uh-oh. Shukaku had never spoken in his dreams. Moreover, the shackles on his wrists and ankles were all too real, grazing his skin to the point of bleeding.

"Well, taking into account the amount of sand in the corners, I'll say a beach." B continued to talk, but Gaara's attention averted to the cautious footsteps on the corridor. He knew the steps rate so well, yet couldn't recognize it. Then he heard this voice. Quiet, unsure, frightened. Feminine.

"B-san?" Few more steps. The world stopped spinning, seconds dragged on like ages.

"It's safe now, come in." …and just like that, Hyuuga Hinata appeared in his miserable life once more. Stupid, foolish, idiotic, moronic, dumb little girl with insanely large, white eyes. The first thing he noticed was her hair. Once shiny and short, now it wasn't more than centimeter long and mat. She was scrawny, her cheekbones looked as if they were about to pierce her skin. Still, there was some kind of pride radiating from her, contrasting with her baggy pants and T-shirt, making her look ridiculous in the result.

Her legs gave in, making her fall on her knees_. "This look of disbelief on her face… Bleh! Pathetic. Drama queen!" _Shukaku hissed in his ears.

"You shouldn't have helped me" he stated emotionlessly. B tried to smack his head, but the Shield of Sand automatically stopped his motion. Gaara was concentrated on her, kneeling on the floor and smiling ear to ear like a retard.

"But I did."

* * *

AN: Thanks for the fav, Lawi


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6, in which Kakuzu pays for everything... that was ordered

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Since he was young, he knew what rules the world. The money.

Being intelligent young men, he used this knowledge to accomplish his goals: learn the most incredible jutsus, gain contacts, increase his fortune even more. At the age of 90, his renown of prominent bounty hunter reached Amegakure and the leader of Akatsuki. He instantly liked the idea of working with the independent group of mercenaries: together, they would gather even more income… and the black coat with red cloud wasn't only stylish, but also given free upon joining!

Kakuzu closed his eyes and sighed, remembering good times. Now wasn't too bad either, but threads in his left knee were itching badly from time to time…. Not to mention bounty prizes these days – were they supposed to be pocket money or what? The man sitting at the opposite side of the coffee table took his reaction for a sign of content.

"I'm glad you like my modest mansion, my dear guest" trimmed mustache lifted slightly when tanned elder smiled. Frankly, the mansion, like it's owner, were anything but modest. The living room they were sitting in was richly decorated in shades of white and blue, making it look like a palace of a Yuki-onna from the folks tale. The host, despite being a member of Kumogakure Coucil, seemed to not have anything in common with shinobi – his round, protruding belly suggested interest in fine food and alcohol. Fancy silk robes, which greatly constricted all movement, clearly showed that the said man can indeed afford great luxuries.

"Indeed, Yotsuki-dono, your estate is worthy of Lighting Daimyou himself" Akatsuki member replied politely, while discretely stroking the edge of his suitcase. Elder received the compliment with a nod.

"Not really, Kakuzu-dono. Please look at the village itself" Yotsuki turned his head to the large, segmented window on his left. The city was teeming with life. Little colorful dots were moving in the streets between stone buildings, as tall as if constructed by giants. "People are more wealthy in the times of prosperity. Most of them work hard…" yeah, especially guards at the city gate. He could barely bribe them to get in the village! "…while some gain profits from business – of all sorts." Elder was grinning even more widely than before, but his eyes remained cold, calculating. Easy prey.

"I like your way of thinking, honorable elder. When I heard about a member of Council holding his position for over forty years, I knew he would be an excellent business partner – and I am not disappointed."

"And you will not be, I can assure you" Yotsuki said while looking directly at Kakuzu's suitcase.

"Shall we get to the point? You must have heard about the Land of Whirlpools at some point in your life…"

"Not only have I heard, I was responsible for well-being of those Whirlpool survivors, who were seeking refuge in the Lands of Hot Waters, Frost or Lighting."

"Such protectiveness over people who didn't have anything to repay a favor doesn't cease to amaze me, Yotsuki-dono."

"Oh, you're flattering me, dear guest. Honestly, it was Sandaime Raikage's idea to extend our hospitality to them. I can barely remember, but it seems he saw a great potential in something… What was that again?..." With one swift move, Akatsuki treasurer placed his suitcase on the table and opened it. The sight of million ryou must have refreshed man's memory, because he continued talking, as if he never paused. "Oh, right - scrolls. In exchange for our protection, Whirlpool refugees offered us some scrolls with powerful sealing techniques. Sadly, our late leader took care of them himself, no one could even catch a glimpse."

"Where are these scrolls now? In the Raikage Tower?"

Elder shook his head slowly, his smile never fading. "No, of course not – it would be too predictable, and therefore dangerous. In whole Kumogakure, there is only one suitable place to keep them safe and secret" having said that, he pointed at some building through the window. It looked like many others, except of two white dots, probably guardians, standing in front of its gate. "ANBU headquarters."

* * *

It certainly wasn't Killer B's lucky day.

First, a redheaded snot demolished half ('bigger half', to be exact) of his upper floor and fell unconscious due to a fever. Did he even say a word of gratitude? No! Passing out wasn't really his fault though – B had switched Gaara's shackles from standard ones, reducing by equal dose both host's and demon's chakra, to his training ones, sucking only bijuu's pool dry. Young nin's organism lost precious source of energy, and thus became severely weakened.

Then Hikari, Raikage's personal Fuinjutsu Master, paid him – or rather, Hinata – a visit. For B, she was a living example of a witch: enormous nose, wrinkled face, croaking voice and sadistic attitude. There were only two things this old hag was good at. Naturally, one of them were seals, hence her status and occupation. The other thing was criticizing. He will never forget their first encounter, when she was sealing Hachibi inside him. She did her job right, as expected of someone as talented, but during the process he heard about how dark his future will be, how the tailed beast will ruin his mind and destroy his body, that she would never touch someone as filthy as him if Raikage didn't pay extra... Not a single gentle word.

Right after opening the massive oak door to her (the door knocker was missing... must be the courtesy of his _dearest_ brother...) she compared his standard outfit to that of a stripper. Good thing that _she_ was the one dressing with style, wearing knee-length robes and white socks with sandals.

"And this hideous stench? Is it a work of a demon cat or your own?" she asked following him inside his house.

"I do believe, honorable Seals Master, that you didn't come here to inspect sanitary" B hissed through his teeth, not even looking at the old shrew. He knew her dislike for jinchuuriki and the lack of respect for anyone except Raikage.

"I'm only stating the obvious. Where is this Hyuuga wench I'm supposed to brand with Location Seal?" Kami, how he wanted to throw her off the stairs they were climbing now... "And what's with this mess all around?" she said, looking at the holes that Gaara punched through the walls under his demon's influence.

"Oh, I just thought it would be nice to give you some real reason to complain" B parted his lips in the wide yet false smile. "The girl's in this room. Please, remember that I'm right behind the door and do not exceed your powers, honorable _witch_." The hag sent him a cold stare and went through the door he showed her. Himself, he leaned on the wall, not intending to leave Hinata entirely at Hikari's mercy. Fortunately, he could hear their conversation even through the closed door.

"U-um... G-good aft..." the young kunoichi wanted to greet the elder woman, when her croaked voice interrupted her.

"Undress yourself."

"I-i-i'm S-s-s-sor-ry? I-i..."

"Hurry up, undress yourself! I need to find the right place on your body to place a seal." It was a part of the standard procedure, still the hag didn't need to be so rude. None of this would be happening if his damn brother was compassionate. Location Seal was developed to enable tracking down individual branded with it. Of course, finding them was only a prelude to what could happen afterwards...

"At last! Now, turn left. Turn right. Slower, slower!" Hikari demanded impatiently. The seal looked like a big mole on possessor's body, and didn't emit any chakra unless activated. Still, it would be the best if it remained unseen by anyone – just in case. That's why the correct placing was such an important matter.

"Fine. Now pour few drops of your blood on this scroll... and don't move."

"W-wha... AWWWW!" B gritted his teeth when Hinata shouted in shock. Craving a seal, even such a tiny one, wasn't a pleasant experience and he knew that Hikari wasn't a delicate person. What was more frustrating was the consciousness, that Hinata knew what was going to happen and was fine with it. He explained, persuaded and begged her to run before the Fuinjutsu Master comes for her, but she was determined to stay. _"I can't leave Gaara alone"_ - that's what she said over and over again...

Suddenly, with a 'puff!' and a cloud of smoke, a ninja materialized right next to him. For a brief moment he expected to see Yugito with her bright eyes and blonde hair... but then he remembered she was sent to the Land of Hot Springs. Why was he always the only one who had to stay in the village, like a dog on a chain?!

"_Stop whining, baka!"_ Hachibi scolded him just before Mabui's shriek pierced his ears.

"B-SAN! B-SAAAAAAAAAAAAN! EMERGENCYYYYYYYYYYY!" His brother told him once that Mabui was capable of emitting so high-pitched sounds, but B didn't want to believe him then. Now his ears were ringing, leaving him no doubts.

"What is the meaning of this ruckus? What is going on?" The door to Hinata's room opened, revealing indignant Hikari, whose hands were still slightly glowing with green aura.

"B-san! Hikari-san! Yotsuki-dono!..." Mabui's glasses crooked to the left, but she didn't seem to notice. Her skin started to turn as green as her outfit. "Yotsuki-dono has been found dead in his mansion!"

It certainly wasn't Killer B's lucky day.

* * *

The only bar in the Woolen, a town few kilometers north from Kumogakure, was unusually crowded. The only hired waitress was almost running between the tables, to the great customers' delight. Her short skirt was traveling higher and higher, revealing slim thighs... And a set of long, poisoned ninja needles. She knew better than anyone that the clients of small, dusty bar could be very troublesome. As for clients though...

It was rare to see any traveler here, where people lived from breeding sheep, and this evening not only one, but three outsiders decided to stop by! They were sitting in the corner, wearing dark cloaks with red clouds pattern. No one knew who were they or where did they come from. One of them, as stated local girls with bright blushes on their cheeks, was the strong and silent type, while the other was rather a charming troublemaker. The third was shortly described as a smelly old goat. Teenagers these days were rather straightforward, weren't they?

"And you see, it turned out that Itachi was already in the base. Damn! How did you know, man? You saved me lots, lots of time!" the silver-haired man was chattering, slightly drunk. His vivid gesticulation was drawing attention of other customers in the bar.

"It was a mere coincidence." the other young man calmly stated, munching another piece of grilled asparagus. "Anyway..."

"Naaaah! Couldn't be, couldn't be! Not with these eyes of yours, Ita-chan! Oi! Kakuzu! He knew straight away that you were in this Kami-forsaken town, y'know?! Would you believe that?!"

"I left you signs on the trees, moron." Kakuzu sighed inwardly, looking at an empty bottle of sake lying before his zombie partner. Really, if he didn't know that Hidan was born stupid, he would say that Jashinism washed his brain... clean. Besides, why was he always the one who paid for everything?!

"Anyway, Kakuzu-san." Itachi turn his head to him, while observing their surroundings. The people in the bar were spending their hard-earned money after the long day of work. Some were looking curiously at them, the three man in black coats sitting in the corner. "Why do you requested specifically my help?"

"As I thought, the scrolls are well-guarded. I don't think that even Hidan would survive a frontal attack on Kumogakure ANBU Headquarters." Not that he would complain if the religious freak found his final resting place, but they had to succeed with the mission.

"Are you planning a little distraction then?" Itachi smiled slightly. Sometimes he thought that these Sharingan eyes could see what's on your mind...

Kakuzu nodded, dodging Hidan's three-bladed scythe. Really, some just couldn't handle their alcohol.

* * *

AN: I'm back! Now I can proudly announce that...

I'm an engineer! *fanfare*

During the time I wasn't updating this story, I was preoccupied with writing my 'thesis' and program. If anyone has any questions about minimizing deterministic finite automatons (or automata? I'm not sure about the correct form), please let me know :) I think I could help a bit.


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